Gapping device for meander slide fasteners



Nov. 10, 19'770 M. PERLMAN l GAPPING DEVICE FOR MEANDER SLIDE FASTENER'S Filed Nov. 3o. 1957 y3 Sheets-Sheet 1 GAPPING DEVICE FOR MEANDER SLIDE FASTENERS Filed Nov. 30. 1967 M. PERLMAN Nov. 10, 1970 l,I5 Sheets-Sheet 2 /WVE-/V 70e Magg/5 PER M/wv Nov. 10, 1970 M. PERLMAN 3,538,582

GAPPING DEVICE EOE MEANDER SLIDE EAsTENEEs E Filed Nov. so, 19e? l E sheets-sheet s 5y, M g @E x7 TTG/QA/E/V United States Patent O 3,538,582 GAPPING DEVICE FOR MEANDER SLIDE FASTENERS Morris Perlman, 1631 63rd St., Brooklyn, N.Y. 11204 Filed Nov. 30, 1967, Ser. No. 686,864 Int. Cl. A41h 37/06; B21d 53/50; B29d 5/00 U.S. Cl. 29-207.5 1 Claim ABSTRACT F THE DISCLOSURE A method for gapping a slide fastener chain of the socalled meander type and a punch mechanism for accomplishing the same, whereby alternate scoops or loops are first cut away and the remaining scoops or loops therebetween are pulled out by the punch mechanism, thereby leaving a finished gap in the chain.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION This invention relates generally to slide fastener production machinery. More specifically it relates to mechanisms for gapping so-called meander slide fastener chains.

Meander slide fasteners consist of filaments bent in a zig-zag conguration to form substantially U-shaped scoops extending in transverse direction of the slide fastener tape, in which the legs of each scoop or tooth are connected together by .lament portions which extend in the longitudinal direction of the tape.

It is well known to those skilled in the art that slide fasteners are produced from an initially manufactured roll of slide fastener chain comprised of a pair of engaged toothed members, each of which is sewn along one edge of a long tape; the chain being thereafter intermittently gapped so as to allow securement of a bottom stop and a top stop adjacent each end of the gap, each of these stops forming one end of a slide fastener after the chain is transversely cut across the gap to form individual slide fasteners. It is further known that in the manufacture of meander slide fasteners by conventional present day methods, that the gapping operation comprises the punching out of the protruding loop portions of each engaging tooth member which is located between the opposing edges of the two tapes. Thereafter, the remaining fragments of these loops which are left upon the tapes, due to being secured by the stitching, are then picked out by mechanically operated needles which draw each loop fragment sidewardly across the tape to withdraw it out of the stitching. This process is not ideal in view of the fact that the needles may injure the face of the tapes while pulling the loop fragments thereacross, and a needle may occassionally miss hooking one of the loop fragments. This is of course objectionable and is in want of improvement.

Accordingly, it is a principal object of the present invention to provide an improved method of gapping a meander slide fastener chain wherein loop fragments are not withdrawn from the stitching by moving across the tape face, thereby eliminating the possibility of injuring the tape face by a mechanism.

Another object is to provide an improved method of gapping a meander slide fastener chain wherein loop fragments are withdrawn from the stitching by being pulled in an opposite direction than heretofore.

Another object is to provide a meander slide fastener chain gapping punch mechanism which cuts out alternate protruding loop portions, thus leaving loops therebetween which may be grasped and pulled so as to withdraw all the remaining loop fragments.

Yet, another object is to provide a meander slide fastener chain gapping punch mechanism wherein the cutting out of alternate loop portions, and the pulling out of the 3,538,582 Patented Nov. l0, 1970 CCy remaining loop fragments is accomplished by the punch mechanism within a single cycle of operation.

Other objects are to provide a meander slide fastener chain gapping punch mechanism which is simple in design, inexpensive to manufacture, rugged in construction, easy to use and efficient in operation.

These and other objects will be readily evident upon a study of the following specification and the accompanying drawings wherein:

FIG. 1 is a side elevation view of a gapping machine for incorporating the present invention,

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the members comprising the present invention shown in respective position and a slide fastener chain being fed therebetween,

FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view taken on line 3-3 of FIG. 2, showing the punch mechanism in operation,

FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view taken on line 4 4 of FIG. 3 showing the cutting operation in progress,

FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view taken on line 5-5 of FIG. 3, and showing the pulling operation in progress,

FIG. 6 is a top plan view of a portion of a meander slide fastener chain, showing the device after the cutting operation,

FIG. 6a is a fragmentary portion thereof showing only one loop fragment intact with a tape thereof,

FIG. 7 is a view similar to FIG. 6a, showing a subsequent step comprising the pulling operation,

FIG. 8 is a similar view showing a further subsequent step, and

FIG. 9 is a fragmentary top plan view of the slide fastener chain after the gapping operation is completed.

Referring now to the drawing in detail, the reference numeral 10 represents a meander slide fastener gapping punch mechanism according to the present invention wherein there is a punch member 12 and a punch plate or die member 14.

The punch mechanism 10 comprises a component of a machine 16, shown in FIG. l, for the purpose of gapping a meander slide fastener chain by modern high speed production methods. The machine includes a base 18 on which an anvil 20 is mounted, the anvil incorporating the die 14. A housing 22 located thereabove contains mechanism (not shown) for intermittently feeding a meander slide fastener chain 24 between the punch incorporated Within the housing, and the die 14. Mechanical power to the punch mechanism 10 and the intermittently advancing or feeding mechanism is delivered from a motor 26 driving a pulley 28 on motor shaft 30, the pulley being connected by endless belt 32 to a pulley 34 on a shaft 36 extending into the housing 22. The chain 24 is fed from a roll supported on a bracket 38. Since the complete machine assembly is not claimed in the present invention, full de tails thereof will not be further considered, the following specification text being confined to the punch assembly and its method of operation. The machine assembly and feed mechanism are described in applicants copending application Ser. No. 550,737 led May 17, 1966 and now Pat. No. 3,445,912 issued May 27, 1969.

The punch member 12 comprises a singular block that is vertically slidable, the underside thereof being formed with a row of downwardly extending punch elements 40 between each of which there is a recess or notch 42. It will be noted that the sidewalls 44 of the notches taper upwardly toward each other to form a relatively narrower part at the upper end of the notch. Each punch element has a fiat bottom face 46.

The die member 14 comprises a plurality of upwardly extending platforms 48 which protrude through openings 50 in the top wall 52 of the anvil. The platforms have top faces 54, each of which is in alignment with one of the notches 42. The platforms are integrally joined together at their lower ends to form a single part 56 which is vertically slidable between sidewalls 58 of the anvil. One or more compression coil springs 60 located between a bottom wall `62 of the platform member S6 and a wall 64 of the anvil normally urge the member 56 upwardly to the position as shown in FIG. 2.

A series of openings 66 through the anvil top wall 52 are provided to receive the punch elements 40, the openings 66 accordingly being located between the platforms 48. A clearance opening 68 through the platform member 56 is located below each opening 66, thus allowing punched out parts to fall therethrough.

The meander chain 24 comprises tapes 7 0, each having a tooth engaging member 72 fitted around a tape edge 74, and secured by stitching 76. Each tooth engaging member 72 has a series of loops 78 extending beyond the tape edge 74, each loop having formed protrusions 88 that interlock the loops of the two members. Each member 72 has a series of loops 82 upon the upper side of the tape and a series of loops 84 upon the underside of the tape, the stitching 76 holding the loops 82 and 84. It is understood that the member 72 is formed of a single part of metal or plastic that is twisted into the meander shape.

In operative use, the meander slide fastener chain 24 is advanced until it is properly positioned between the punch and die members. The punch is then pushed downward causing (as shown in FIGS. 4 and 6) each punch element 40 to cut ott an alternate loop 78 on each member 72, the cut off loops dropping away through openings 66 and 68. As shown in FIG. `6, the phantom lines 86 indicate the position of the punch elements respective to the chain 24, and it will thus be noted that the phantom lines 86 indicate windows punched out in the chain. The length of the finished gap will comprise the distance across all the windows.

After the initial downward travel of the punch member 12, during which time the above cutting off operation is accomplished, the punch member continues to travel farther downwardly, thus causing the uncut loops 78 between windows 86 to be squeezed into the notches 42. The squeezed loops 78 are deformed by the tight squeeze in the notch (as shown in FIG. 3) and are thus rmly held by the notch as the punch member continues to travel downward still further. As shown in FIGS. 5, 6a, 7 and 8, this further downward travel, causes the loops 78 to be pulled downward until the loop ends or tails `88 are withdrawn free from the stitching 76; the freed loops 78 dropping downwardly out of the machine. Removal of these loops by pulling now results in a nished gap 90, shown in FIG. 9. The above entire operation is accomplished in a fraction of a second and the chain is immediately thereafter advanced, for repeating the operation again on a next position thereupon.

As shown in FIG. 5, it will be noted that the platform 48 is sufficiently wide to extend below the stitching 76 of the two tapes 70. Accordingly, after the loops 78 are squeezed in the notches, the platforms are then pushed downward against springs 60, thus providing clearance for the underside tails y88 to feed out of the underside stitches 76.

While various changes may be made in the detail con` struction, it is -understood that such changes will be within the spirit and scope of the present invention, as is defined by the appended claim.

I claim:

1. In a meander slide fastener chain gapping punch mechanism, the combination of a punch member and a die member, said members comprising means whereby alternate loops extending over an edge of each tape of an engaged meander slide fastener chain are first cut away and the remaining loops therebetween are then pulled out into a direction between the opposing said edges of said tapes, said punch member comprising a singular member which is vertically movable against an upper side of said chain, said punch member having a plurality of downwardly extending, spaced apart punch elements, an upwardly extending notch between said punch elements, said notches having opposite side walls formed by said punch elements, said side Wall extending slightly angularly upward to form a relatively narrower upper end of said notch, said die member comprising an anvil having therein a vertically slidable platform member comprised of a plurality of upwardly extending, spaced apart platforms extending through openings in the upper wall of said anvil, said platforms being in vertical alignment with said notches, the lowei ends of said platforms being joined into a single member, compression coil spring means below said platform member normally urging said platform member upwardly, and an opening in said anvils upper wall between each said platform for receiving one of said punch elements to form shearing means at opposite edges of said punch member and the associated opening.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,203,448 6/1940` Susskind 2933.2 2,987,809 6\/ 1961 Burbank 29--207.5 X 3,128,543 4/ 1964 Fasciano 29-2075 X l3,225,430 12/1965 Fasciano 29-2075 X 3,391,441 7/196-8 Carlile 29-207.5 X 3,415,293 12/ 1968 Perlman 29-207.5 3,445,912 5/1969 Perlman 29-2075 FOREIGN PATENTS 342,312 1/1931 Great Britain. 775 ,7 O2 5 195 7 Great Britain.

` WAYNE A. MORSE, JR., Primary Examiner 

